Elon Musk Misleads on Voter ID Requirements in California, New york
Elon Muskโค falsely โฃclaimed on social media that New York and California require voter ID, a statement โฃcontradicted by โคelection officials and voting laws in both states. Musk’s post, which included an image comparing U.S.โข voter ID rules to those of other countries,โ has recirculated amid ongoing debates about โelection integrity and โaccess to theโ ballot box.
California automatically mails ballots to โขall active registered voters,and in the 2024 general election,80.76% of voters utilized thisโ method. Some California counties offer no in-person voting options at all. Voters in โฃNew York are not required to present identification at polling places, though frist-time voters who registered by mail must provide proof of identity. Musk’s post highlighted a list of 114 โcountries with voter ID requirements, marking the U.S. with aโ red “x” despite exceptions to strict ID lawsโ within the country.
The image accompanying Musk’s post incorrectly implied worldwide ID requirements across โขthe globe. While manyโ nations listed do mandate identification, New Zealand and Australia are exceptions. New Zealand allows voter registration viaโ signed enrollment forms withoutโฃ ID, โขand does not โrequire ID at the polls. Australian voters similarlyโ do not need ID to cast a ballot, and can have their identity confirmed by a registered voter during enrollment.
Representatives for Musk have not responded โฃto requests for comment regarding the inaccuracies in his post. โThe claim’s spread underscores the potential โfor misinformation to influence public discourse surrounding voting rightsโฃ and election procedures, particularly โคas the 2024 election cycle continues.
For more โขdata onโฃ fact checks, visit: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.
